Suspended student needs advise please!!

lalababy

Hi, I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me out please?

My mother has just packed up and moved abroad with no money and left me the house to sell for her, suffered a nervous breakdown overseas and caused me a near breakdown too. I was in my last year at university and because of the stress, i have had to suspend a year and go back. I am however informed that i can not claim any benefits to assist me whilst looking for a job.
I was wondering if anyone knows if this is true please as we are REALLY struggling to make our bill payments. I get about £60 in working and child tax credits and also child benefit for one child but have to pay full rent £65 a week and council tax (about £72 a month) and by the time i add on the school dinner money and food shopping,gas and electric, house contents insurance etc. we are down to pennies and i still have my normal debts to pay. I am looking for work but because i am a near graduate i am told i am over qualified to work stacking shelves and under qualified to do a graduate job.
I just need a bit of help if anyone has been through a similar experience. xx
Thank you.

seven-day-weekend

Sorry, I don't have any answers for you but am BUMPING your thread so that someone else will see it who knows more.

dmg24

Hi lalababy,

What is your actual status with the university at present?

I am confused that you are receiving Working Tax Credits - do you have a job, or a partner in employment?

Conor_3

You should be able to claim income support and housing/council tax benefits.

dmg24

Conor wrote: »

You should be able to claim income support and housing/council tax benefits.

This is why I am thinking there is income coming in from somewhere else, as someone shouldn't really be receiving WTC and IS at the same time? x

lalababy

I have suspended so technically i am told that i am student status but not able to get the student loan or grant i was awarded at the beginning of the year because of my suspension. It apparently means that i can not claim any other benefits because i am still a student of sorts??????

I have a partner who works for minimum wage but does not get paid for sickness or any other days he needs off. The stress he has seen and experienced from me has caused illness. He has a loan from about four years ago and he brought to the relationship a really good credit rating. My debts come from credit cards - which had ppi on them but when i got made redundant i was told that because of the lloyds tsb publicising the redundancy i was aware of it coming and should have paid the bills off. hence not to bother claiming because i would not get my bills paid with the insurance. I have my two bank accounts awaiting the reclaiming decision but feel that i may need to declare myself bankrupt or go into a debt management plan for the sake of four months. After this time i will be able to claim my student loan and grant again and HOPEFULLY will have a job by then.

lalababy

In addition to all this....the housing company has just renovated, rewired my house and caused utter chaos so i have lost track of half of my paperwork that has filtered into the house during the work being done. I just feel so desparate and do not know what to do. If i go into a debt management programme, does that affect my chances of getting a public sector job? as most applications are asking if i have declared myself bankrupt etc?

dmg24

As a student with a child you would still be able to claim IS/ HB/ CTB if you are on a low income. However, as your partner is employed it would appear that your household income is too high to qualify.

When did you last receive a student loan payment? It may be that this is also still being counted as income until the end of term (although you aren't actually there).

As you are still technically a student you should be able to apply to the Access to Learning Fund at your university. They can award up to £3500 for situations where your outgoings exceed your income.

Before looking at DMPs, bankruptcy etc, I would contact the Student Finance Service at your university. They should be able to help you work out the best plan of action for you.

Are you back at uni in September? If so, I can imagine it feels like a lifetime away at the moment, but hopefully it will pass quicker than you think x

lalababy

My last loan payment was at the beginning of January, i suspended at the end of february so i think i have to pay some of the loan and grant back which makes things even more strained.

Thank you for your advice, i feel a bit better now and yes, september feels a lifetime away!!!!!
I unfortunately was taught to deal with my dads death was by spending four / five hundred pounds at a time. The trouble started there and i am hoping that i can pull myself out of this hole asap. My partner is excellent with money and always has been and it makes me really uncomfortable to have him suffer my debt.

I am grateful to everyone on these boards who offer financial advice and a great deal of emotional support.
Thank you again!

bestpud

dmg24 wrote: »

As a student with a child you would still be able to claim IS/ HB/ CTB if you are on a low income. However, as your partner is employed it would appear that your household income is too high to qualify.

When did you last receive a student loan payment? It may be that this is also still being counted as income until the end of term (although you aren't actually there).

As you are still technically a student you should be able to apply to the Access to Learning Fund at your university. They can award up to £3500 for situations where your outgoings exceed your income.

Before looking at DMPs, bankruptcy etc, I would contact the Student Finance Service at your university. They should be able to help you work out the best plan of action for you.

Are you back at uni in September? If so, I can imagine it feels like a lifetime away at the moment, but hopefully it will pass quicker than you think x

I have deferred this semester and daft as it sounds, you are not technically a student at all. Not in terms of your university, or benefits.

There was a debate about this on the student boards a while ago as someone said you should be able to claim the council tax reduction while deferring, but in reality you are not a student until you go back.

That's my experience anyway and it seems the norm.

Sorry you are having problems getting work.

Perhaps you would be better off not mentioning you are part way through a degree?